The Currents of Space

High above the planet Florinia, the Squires of Sark live in unimaginable wealth and comfort. Down in the eternal spring of the planet, however, the native Florinians labor ceaselessly to produce the precious kyrt that brings prosperity to their Sarkite masters. Rebellion is unthinkable and impossible. Living among the workers of Florinia, Rik is a man without a memory or a past. He has been abducted and brainwashed.

Pebble in the Sky

One moment Joseph Schwartz is a happily retired tailor in Chicago, 1949. The next he's a helpless stranger on Earth during the heyday of the first Galactic Empire. Earth, as he soon learns, is a backwater, just a pebble in the sky, despised by all the other 200 million planets of the Empire because its people dare to claim it's the original home of man. And Earth is poor, with great areas of radioactivity ruining much of its soil - so poor that everyone is sentenced to death at the age of 60. Joseph Schwartz is 62.

The Stars, Like Dust

Biron Farrell was young and naïve, but he was growing up fast. A radiation bomb planted in his dorm room changed him from an innocent student at the University of Earth to a marked man, fleeing desperately from an unknown assassin. He soon discovers that, many light-years away, his father has been murdered. Stunned, grief-stricken, and outraged, Biron is determined to uncover the reasons behind his father's death.

The Gods Themselves

Only a few know the terrifying truth - an outcast Earth scientist, a rebellious alien inhabitant of a dying planet, a lunar-born human intuitionist who senses the imminent annihilation of the Sun... They know the truth - but who will listen? They have foreseen the cost of abundant energy - but who will believe?These few beings, human and alien, hold the key to the Earth's survival.

I, Robot

They mustn't harm a human being, they must obey human orders, and they must protect their own existence...but only so long as that doesn't violate rules one and two. With these Three Laws of Robotics, humanity embarked on a bold new era of evolution that would open up enormous possibilities, and unforeseen risks.

Foundation

For 12,000 years the Galactic Empire has ruled supreme. Now it is dying. But only Hari Sheldon, creator of the revolutionary science of psychohistory, can see into the future, to a dark age of ignorance, barbarism, and warfare that will last 30,000 years. To preserve knowledge and save mankind, Seldon gathers the best minds in the Empire, both scientists and scholars, and brings them to a bleak planet at the edge of the Galaxy to serve as a beacon of hope for a fututre generations.

The Story of Western Science: From the Writings of Aristotle to the Big Bang Theory

Far too often, public discussion of science is carried out by journalists, voters, and politicians who have received their science secondhand. The Story of Western Science shows us the joy and importance of reading groundbreaking science writing for ourselves and guides us back to the masterpieces that have changed the way we think about our world, our cosmos, and ourselves.

Pump Six and Other Stories

Paolo Bacigalupi's debut collection demonstrates the power and reach of the science-fiction short story. Social criticism, political parable, and environmental advocacy lie at the center of Paolo's work. Each of the stories herein is at once a warning and a celebration of the tragic comedy of the human experience.

Solaris: The Definitive Edition

At last, one of the world’s greatest works of science fiction is available - just as author Stanislaw Lem intended it. To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of Solaris, Audible, in cooperation with the Lem Estate, has commissioned a brand-new translation - complete for the first time, and the first ever directly from the original Polish to English. Beautifully narrated by Alessandro Juliani (Battlestar Galactica), Lem’s provocative novel comes alive for a new generation.

Robot Dreams

A robopsychologist must outwit a machine determined to stay hidden in "Little Lost Robot"; a woman’s talent for "Light Verse" overshadows her true accomplishments with her robot servants; "The Last Question" presented to computer after computer over a hundred billion years may remain forever unanswered … and seventeen more future visions from the grand master of science fiction.

Linesman

The lines. No ship can traverse the void without them. Only linesmen can work with them. But only Ean Lambert hears their song. And everyone thinks he's crazy.... Most slum kids never go far, certainly not becoming a level 10 linesman like Ean. Even if he's part of a small and unethical cartel, and the other linesmen disdain his self-taught methods, he's certified and working. Then a mysterious alien ship is discovered at the edges of the galaxy.

On Silver Wings

When the Colony on Hayden's world went black, a team was sent to investigate. It was supposed to be a training mission: skip in, find out the Casimir Transmitter had gone dead, report back and wait for resupply from the Fleet. By the time the only surviving member of the team made landfall, it was spectacularly clear that this wasn't a training mission.

Tarnished Knight: The Lost Stars, Book 1

The authority of the Syndicate Worlds’ government is crumbling. Civil war and rebellion are breaking out in many star systems, despite the Syndic government’s brutal attempts to suppress disorder. Midway is one of those star systems, and leaders there must decide whether to remain loyal to the old order or fight for something new.

Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West

Dee Brown's eloquent, meticulously documented account of the systematic destruction of the American Indian during the second half of the 19th century uses council records, autobiographies, and firsthand descriptions. Brown allows great chiefs and warriors of the Dakota, Ute, Sioux, Cheyenne, and other tribes to tell us in their own words of the battles, massacres, and broken treaties that finally left them demoralized and defeated.

Rendezvous with Rama

At first, only a few things are known about the celestial object that astronomers dub Rama. It is huge, weighing more than ten trillion tons. And it is hurtling through the solar system at inconceivable speed. Then a space probe confirms the unthinkable: Rama is no natural object. It is, incredibly, an interstellar spacecraft. Space explorers and planet-bound scientists alike prepare for mankind's first encounter with alien intelligence.

The New Testament

Whether taken as a book of faith or a cultural artifact, the New Testament is among the most significant writings the world has ever known, its web of meaning relied upon by virtually every major writer in the last 2,000 years. Yet the New Testament is not only one of Western civilization’s most believed books, but also one of its most widely disputed, often maligned, and least clearly understood, with a vast number of people unaware of how it was written and transmitted.

My Early Life

One of the classic volumes of autobiography, My Early Life is a lively and colourful account of a young man's quest for action, adventure and danger. Churchill's schooldays are undistinguished, but he is admitted to Sandhurst and embarks on a career as a soldier and a war correspondent, seeing action in Cuba, in India, in the Sudan - where he took part in the battle of Omdurman, of which he gives us a stirring account - and finally in South Africa.

Publisher's Summary

This stand-alone work is widely regarded as Asimov's best science-fiction novel.

Andrew Harlan is an Eternal, a member of the elite of the future. One of the few who live in Eternity, a location outside of place and time, Harlan's job is to create carefully controlled and enacted Reality Changes. These Changes are small, exactingly calculated shifts in the course of history, made for the benefit of humankind.

Though each Change has been made for the greater good, there are also always costs. During one of his assignments, Harlan meets and falls in love with Noÿs Lambert, a woman who lives in real time and space. Then Harlan learns that Noÿs will cease to exist after the next Change, and he risks everything to sneak her into Eternity.

What the Critics Say

“His most effective piece of work. Asimov’s exemplary clarity in plotting is precisely suited to the material at hand. Asimov’s engagement with the present is clearer here than in his other works, as is his engagement with the human.” (Locus)

"Asimov’s flirtation with the tropes employed by A. E. van Vogt and Charles Harness is startling for an author deemed ultra-rational and scientific....The effects of this influential, seminal book echo to the present, in the works of such writers as Greg Egan, John Varley, Kage Baker, and Greg Bear." (SciFi.com)

I almost didn't buy this after reading the reviews about the narrator's voice, but you have nothing to worry about. This is coming from a listener who is already spoiled by great narrators like Scott Brick. The tone and inflections are very appropriate for the characters and create a mood that another narrator could not match. On the other hand, if hard science fiction bores you, don't buy this book. If you want a classic time-travel mystery that has surprising and satisfying twists and turns, then this is a great book! When you finish it, the first thing you will wonder is, "Why haven't they made a movie out of this yet?" It is that good, and yes, a movie is in the works. You will never forget the odd city of Eternity that sits outside of time, but feels like it is right next door!

I think this might be Asimov's best novel. It's a very different approach to time travel stories. He uses many paradoxes that twist it's way into the perfect ending. Only Asimov can write a story like this and keep in believable.

Spoiler:

The story consists of Eternals live outside of time as we know it. They can travel up and down through a created time tunnel in lifts called kettles. Technicians calculate changes needed throughout various centuries to minimize human suffering and war and keep humanity balanced.

One of these Eternals makes contact with someone from the unreachable centuries who doesn’t want Eternity to be invented, and this person wants to help end Eternity instead of creating it.

There is a monstrous choice to be made - Asimov asks what would you do in their place? The story, in my opinion, is a foreign but credible dive into the effects of time travel, changing time and the social ramifications of doing so. Should we really interfere?

The view of the future Asimov puts out, had me very depressed. I thought for sure the author was some sick utopian from the 50's (which sickly, seems to be coming back into fashion).. anyway, his view of 'eternity' seems to be of humans living comfortable lives without want or worry, like couch potatoes waiting for a welfare check. People losing all aspiration for life and ambition, therefore stopping most tech advancement.

I almost stopped listening in fact.. especially with the view of the only Woman in the story. The view of women in 'Eternity' is a sex objects only, something you have to trick into a relationship. It all seemed a sick, sick world. The story was good, although the outbursts by the main character towards his superior were over the top. I cannot see any situation where I'd ever react in such a way. BUT

The ending is so awesome and surprising that all my previous views about Asimov were swept aside. He really did get it. It was a sick society. Adversity and disaster is how we learn and strive ahead. As for the only Woman in the story... some reviewers don't seem to have finished the end, as the previous views are meaningless. I don't want to give any more away but it'll make a GREAT movie! Inspirational ending

I grew up reading a lot of science-fiction and much of my time was spent in the public library looking for books by Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein and others. When I graduated from High School the science-fiction content of my reading became more sparse although I still liked to read a good space opera from time to time so, when I saw an Asimov novel that I had not read, I grabbed it from Audible.

To be honest I was terribly disappointed. The End of Eternity seemed terribly slow and plodding. Asimov has always been more interested in stories than in action and I expected that, but I found myself horrified at what the characters were doing (changing history “for the good of the masses”) and so deciding for themselves what man’s future should be. Several times during the reading I almost put the book down and, had this been from another author, I might well have done so, but I could not believe that Asimov had written and published such a tedious and disappointing book. The characters seemed two-dimensional and I found myself wondering if I would give this book a 2 star rating or 3 star rating.

In the end I was glad I persisted. As with a couple of other books I have read, the ending justified the long trek through the middle. As with other Asimov books, the story, in the end, triumphed. Still I feel I can only recommend this book to those with the patience to get through the tedious middle to reach the satisfying end.

Mr Boehmer's narration, although not inspired, is perfectly adequate for the book and does not detract from the book.

Story content and plot in The End of Eternity were very interesting to me. At first I found the idea of eternity and how it works rather confusing and the story seemed slow. It does become easier and more clear as the details are discussed. I loved the ethical implications that come to mind as you learn more about this entity. I especially enjoyed how Asimov doesn't blatantly point out these issues because he evidently assumes your intelligence. But it's not just intellectual, it also has plenty of action.

The End of Eternity feels like it should be broken into acts like a stage play. The main character goes through several shifts in his behavior and viewpoint and the story also takes a few big turns. The main male characters are wonderfully detailed and flawed. Asimov did an excellent job of filling out the characters but never lets you be quite sure of their motivations. The scenes where the main character has a mental break was so well-described, I could totally understand a man doing the crazy stuff he does.

The female character is a ridiculous mix of 70's free-love hippie and 50's subservient housewife. It was like a man wrote a female character from only watching tv shows. Then you have an aha moment that makes you realize Asimov has some serious skills.

The narrator took some adjusting to but I found his style very familiar to other sci-fi cannon narration.

I don't usually like stories that involve time travel. This one seems like a reaction to all of my objections–it addresses most of the inconsistencies of time travel in a clever plot. It is internally consistent, while most time travel stories are not. In its time, it is genius, but now it felt dated. If you can place yourself in a time when computers were expected to be able to think, or if you love Asimov, this book is for you. While it is a classic of science fiction, I didn't think it measured up to Heinlein. If I could go back in time, I would recommend it to myself, but in my top 100, not in my top 10.

I really liked this one. The setting and plot may not be as explosive and dramatic as some but I felt my attention was kept. Nice twist at the end. A classic writer that knew how to tell a story and didn't need to use profanity to tell it.

This book is quintessential Asimov at his best. The story is classic "Science" Fiction and uses scientific concepts to ground its basic ideas and premises. If you enjoy reading a well reasoned and thought provoking story you will find it here. The book combines the best aspects of an interesting story that makes you want to know more, and Asimov's wonderful imagination that uses scientific reasoning to provide a basis for the action. The narration is also superb and gives life to the characters..

I honestly don't know why I never before picked up an Asimov book. Sci-Fi is far and away my favorite genre, but there's so much to read and so little time.

I chose this one because other reviewers claimed that while less popular, this is Asimov's best work. I'm looking forward to some of his other books, but am not in a big hurry i.e., his "best work" didn't capture me the way Heinlein's worst books do.

Eventually the philosophy emerged, but for more than the first half of the book I was disappointed by the paucity of insight regarding the consequences of cultural interference via time travel and the exponential incalculable effects of such.

The premise of the book is the Eternals' nanny state, "we know what's best for mankind's evolutionary path" and their manipulation of causation in order to calibrate the maximum desired outcome with the least amount of interference. This is about as deep, philosophically speaking, the book gets until the last 1/3 to 1/4, but I enjoyed in immensely.

A basic love story where the protagonist is bound by duty, but captured by love... more sensuality. Asimov's description of the girl, in her translucent outfit draped over perfect curves and her amorous personality, had me going.